Killing Me Softly
by Precious Ink
Summary: An eerie silence fills Hermione's ears as she finds the deathly quietness from every corner. What had she done to deserve this? She was just about to find out...


Killing me softly…

Hermione wandered over to where Ron was sitting on the armchair, and sat on the chair arm but he didn't glance at her. He's been doing that a lot recently, noted Hermione. She wondered what she had done wrong.

"Ron, are you mad at me?", she asked.

He didn't reply.

"Come on Ron, you can't keep on doing this to me. It's been three days since you last spoke to me!", Hermione said.

Ron still didn't reply. Hermione sighed and left to go to her dormitory, and didn't leave until she heard Professor McGonagall announce for them all to report to the Great Hall. Hermione reluctantly followed the students to the Hall all the while wondering why everyone was suddenly ignoring her.

When all the remaining students had filed in, the headmistress stood up at the head table and announced that some of the students had something they wished to share with the rest. At first, a few Hufflepuffs got up on the stage set up and recited some poems and slowly other students from other houses went on stage and did similar presentations, but what Hermione didn't understand was why she was the only one applauding.

Then a certain Ronald Weasley got up on the stage and spoke into the microphone, "I'd like to dedicate this song to my girlfriend Hermione Granger, I love you."

Hermione was shocked, she never thought of Ron as a person who went public with his feelings, but here he was admitting his love for her. She felt herself blush but thankfully no one turned to stare at her.

Ron didn't look over to where she was standing. He began to sing and strum his guitar.

_Strumming my pain with his fingers  
Singing my life with his words  
killing me softy with his song  
killing me softly with his song  
telling my whole life  
with his words  
killing me softly with his song_

Hermione gasped that was her favorite song. Ron has a beautiful voice, she thought.

Ron continued with the song, deeply immersed in it singing his soul into it. Tears began to sting Hermione eyes, she was overwhelmed with emotion. She felt lucky to have Ron.

_I heard he sang a good song  
I heard he had a style  
and so I came to see  
and listen for a while_

Hermione looked around her and found that she was standing next to Ginny who was smiling weakly.

"Ginny", She whispered, "Did you know about this?". She leaned next to Ginny only to find that the latter shivered and moved away.

_and there he was this young boy  
a stranger to my eyes  
Strumming my pain with his fingers  
Singing my life with his words  
killing me softy with his song  
killing me softly with his song  
telling my whole life  
with his words  
killing me softly with his song _

Hermione backed away confused, but she returned back to looking at her boyfriend singing. Ron had his eyes closed and was singing in the most angelic voice.

_I felt all flushed with fever  
Embarrassed by the crowd  
I felt he found my letter  
and read each one out loud  
I prayed that he would finish  
but he just kept right on  
Strumming my pain with his fingers  
Singing my life with his words  
killing me softy with his song  
killing me softly with his song  
telling my whole life  
with his words  
killing me softly with his song_

Hermione was completely mesmerized by the song, by his voice, by his ability to play the guitar, by her love for him.

She remembered why she fell for him in the first place. Why she had felt the way she had when they shared their first kiss. Why she felt secure in his arms. Why she put up with their fights and arguments. Why she loved him.

_he sang as if he knew me  
In all my darkness fair  
and then he looked right through me  
as if I wasn't there  
and he kept on singing  
singing clear and strong  
Strumming my pain with his fingers  
Singing my life with his words  
killing me softy with his song  
killing me softly with his song  
telling my whole life  
with his words  
killing me softly with his song_

A single tear escaped Ron's shut eyelids. Hermione realized that Ginny next to her was crying too.

Reality finally dawned on Hermione. She finally knew why everyone was ignoring her. She finally knew why Ginny had shivered when she leaned next to her. She finally knew why Ron wasn't talking to her

It was because they couldn't see her, because she wasn't there. Because she left this world.

_ohhhhhhhhhhh oohhhhhhh...lalalal..ohhhh lalaaaaaaa_

Memories came rushing back to her. The flash of green light while she was duelling the death eaters. The last words she had heard, Hermione don't leave me I love you. She recognized the voice now as the one singing to her.

_Strumming my pain with his fingers  
Singing my life with his words  
killing me softy with his song  
killing me softly with his song  
telling my whole life  
with his words  
killing me softly_

All at once, the song seemed to fit perfectly to her situation. Ron was singing her life with his words. Ron sang as if he knew her. Ron was looking right through her as if she wasn't there.

I am not here, she reminded herself, at least not to them; not to Ron.

_he was strumming my pain  
yeah he was singing my life  
killing me softly with his song  
killing me softly with his song  
telling my whole life with his words  
killing me softly with his song_

He was killing her softly with his song.

But how can he… she was already dead.

A/N: I hope you liked it… for all of you who've been reading 'A Final Year of Fun and Fear' I deeply apologize that I haven't updated but I have a writer's block… please feel free to post your suggestions for it and lease review for this fic .. Tell me what you think. By the way this song is 'Killing Me Softly With His Song' Aretha Franklin…

PS: I realize that in the world of Harry Potter you can see ghosts … but for the sake of the fic… lets imagine they can't.. : D

Final word count: 1,066


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